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Smart Start: Brunswick County has capacity for 1,798 children but only 106 infant slots — presenters urge employer and policy solutions
Summary
Smart Start told commissioners the county has 22 licensed child‑care sites serving 1,798 children while roughly 6,900 children under six live in the county; infant care is most constrained (about 106 slots). Presenters cited low wages for early educators, operating costs, and transportation deserts as barriers and urged collaborative incentives and employer‑supported models.
Smart Start of Brunswick County presented a countywide snapshot of licensed child‑care capacity and outlined barriers to expanding infant and toddler care.
The presenter said Brunswick County currently has 22 licensed child‑care sites (including two Head Start centers) and licensed capacity to serve about 1,798 children overall while the county counts nearly 6,900 children under age six. Smart Start emphasized the infant‑care shortage: roughly 106 licensed infant slots countywide, with particularly low capacity in fast‑growing areas such as Leland. The presenter said child‑care centers typically run at about 55% capacity right now because of workforce shortages; early‑educator pay averages about $25,000 per year and many workers rely on public assistance.
Smart Start listed structural challenges: low reimbursement rates for subsidy programs, high operating costs and staff turnover, lack of reliable transportation and so‑called "childcare deserts" where families have no nearby licensed options, and limited availability for non‑day shift work. The organization proposed collaborative approaches including employer‑supported childcare, targeted incentives to expand infant/toddler slots, salary supplements and better payer rates to recruit and retain staff.
Commissioners asked about overlaps with school‑based pre‑K expansions and whether public preschool would pull staff from private sites; the presenter recommended balancing private and public options and incentivizing infant/toddler capacity directly.
Next steps: Smart Start asked the board to elevate early‑childhood strategies, identify funding or partnership opportunities and coordinate county staff to explore creative employer and subsidy approaches.
